Islamabad:
In a major repression, the anti-human smuggling cell of the Federal Agency (FIA) has found a high-level visa scam involving the fraudulent deliverance of Pakistani electronic visas to Afghan nationals using false sponsorships, with an alleged complicity of officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Information.
According to FIA spokesperson, two Afghan nationals were arrested during a targeted raid in the G-8 sector of Islamabad, while a case was recorded against six people. Raids are underway to understand the remaining suspects.
The accused would have operated on exhibition halls in the G-8 region, managing a sophisticated racket that has circumvented immigration procedures and compromised national security.
The FIA said that the entire operation had facilitated Afghan nationals not verified to obtain Pakistani electronic visas within 24 to 48 hours, using forged sponsorship documents and stolen identification data, all without notifying the intelligence agencies.
The FIR, deposited by an FIA officer, says that the scam was led by Samiullah Afridi, a member of the lower quality staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collusion with Malik Muneebur Rehman, a travel agent, Nadir Raheem Abbasi, an employee of the press information department (PID) and several others.
Financial transactions have been sent through the Bank accounts of the Afridi cousin, Abdul Aziz Afridi, who has an automotive exhibition hall in G-8 and is the brother of an official of the foreign office displayed as deputy chief of the mission in Kabul.
A private bank account linked to Samiullah Afridi would have received nearly 40 million rupees in suspicious transactions linked to the visa racket.
One of the suspects arrested, Atif Ahmadzai, an Afghan national in the province of Nangarhar, was made as an online travel agency which facilitated electronic visa requests using fraudulent means, including forged sponsorships, by bypassing formal financial channels and using Hawala / Hundi methods for fund transfers.
The gang provided urgent tourist visas within 24 to 48 hours for $ 750 (with 80% allegedly pocketed by employees of the Ministry of Information).
They also offered other categories of visas such as 10 -day tourist visas, medical visas and commercial visas, each for $ 350.
The network would have met in areas surrounding Islamabad, including G-8, and had set up a rationalized process for Afghan nationals to acquire Pakistani documents without security check. Innocent sponsors were involved without knowing it, while legitimate visa applicants were deprived of their rights.
According to the FIA, the regime has not only violated immigration protocols, but also constituted a significant threat to national security by potentially allowing terrorist elements to enter Pakistan without control.
Acting on credible information, the FIA attacked the exhibition hall and caught Abdul Aziz Afrida and Atif Ahmadzai in the act.
Ahmadzai proved to be illegally residing in Pakistan and lacked valid travel documentation. The two suspects recorded statements confirming that Samiullah Afridi, Malik Muneebur Rehman, Nadir Raheem Abbasi and another Afghan national named Ahmad Afghani were active members of the ring and illegally issued electronic visas in exchange for significant sums.
